Aug.] 



THE FRUIT GARDEN. 



431 



clamps, and secured with locks, each lock having two keys, 

 one to be kept by the person who packs the fruit, and the 

 other by the person who unpacks it. These two keys to an- 

 swer the locks of all the boxes. In packing the fruits, the 

 heaviest and largest should be put in the bottom, and the 

 lightest and more delicate on the top. Thus, melons, apples, 

 and pears, should be put in the bottom, each wrapped up in a 

 separate piece of clean paper, and packed in amongst clean 

 well-dried moss ; species of Sphagnum or Hypmnn to be pre- 

 ferred ; over them may be packed peaches, apricots, plums, and 

 grapes, each first wrapped up in vine leaves, and over them a 

 piece of clean paper, and laid level in, and packed tightly 

 with moss. Strawberries, gooseberries, currants, and rasp- 

 berries, should be put into shallow tin boxes, each sort se- 

 parately, and packed in the larger box beneath the peaches and 

 gi'apes. In packing, observe to lay the fruits in regular layers, 

 and between each layer a course of moss ; continue this till 

 the box be full, which should be made up with moss, if there 

 be not a sufficient quantity of fruits to fill it, to prevent any 

 friction amongst the fruits. The lid should be then secured 

 down with a lock, but not with nails, for the difficulty of get- 

 ting them out would shake the fruits too much. The moss 

 should always be returned in the boxes, which, if kept dry 

 and well aired, will generally last all the season. 



DESTKOYING INSECTS ON FRUIT-TREES. 



Continue the destruction of all insects on fruit-trees. As 

 many fruits will now be ripening, the use of the garden-engine 

 must be suspended. If it has been freely used, as directed 

 hitherto, there will be no fear of the red spider, or any other of 

 the smaller insects, doing much injury. Slugs will, in wet 

 weather, be both numerous and destructive ; they must be, as 

 has been already directed, picked up wherever they appear ; 

 and the destruction of wasps and large black flies should be 

 regularly attended to, both of which will make sad havoc 

 amongst the finer fruits at this season. 



